Patient Interviews Reduce Drug Errors

OCTOBER 01, 2004

A new study has shown that hospitals
can decrease medication errors by
having pharmacists interview patients
to get a complete medical history. Pharmacists
and pharmacy students at
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in
Chicago, Ill, interviewed 204 patients
within 24 to 48 hours of admission
between August 2002 and July 2003.
During the interviews, the researchers
identified and resolved any discrepancies
between the patients' medical
record, their admission profile, and their
actual medication regimen, including
vitamins and herbal supplements and
medications taken before admission.

Reporting in the American Journal of
Health-System Pharmacy (August 15,
2004), the researchers found that more
than half of the patients had discrepancies
in their medication histories. Of
those discrepancies, 22% could have
resulted in patient harm during hospitalization
and 59% could have caused
harm if the error had continued after
the patient was discharged. The
authors said that the study cost an estimated
$5000 in pharmacists' salaries
but saved $39,000 in hospital costs
through error prevention.